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May 15, 2008

“Who Cares About Anarchy When You Can Have Limited Government?”

A Sunday Night Social Debate * May 18, 2008 * 4:00-5:30pm at the Galaxy Hut

Presented by the Center for Liberty and Community

Jan Helfeld will argue in favor of limited government as the optimal system for achieving human happiness. Helfeld is a lawyer and businessman turned TV producer. In the last few years he has traveled the world as a lecturer and debater at numerous universities. He has produced documentaries such as “To Invade or Not Invade” about the Iraq War and other philosophical explorations such as “The Proper Function of Government”, “The Socratic Interviewing Technique”, and “The Media Against Business.” He also has hosted/produced several TV shows in Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. See a video clip of Jan’s interview with Senator Harry Reid at: http://www.freeliberal.com/blog/archives/003277.php

And in favor of anarchy…

Michael Owen is a certified gun-toting, swing-dancing anarcho-capitalist. He received his Ph.D. in 2003 from North Carolina State University in theoretical astrophysics. He is currently employed as a computational fluid dynamics engineering consultant for a small firm in Maryland. He is the husband of Congressman Ron Paul's Communications Director, Rachel Mills.

The debate will be moderated by Kevin Rollins, publisher of the The Free Liberal, the Center for Liberty and Community’s web magazine.

This debate is free and open to the public. RSVPs (to publisher[at]freeliberal.com) are appreciated but not required. Following the debate we will commence our usual social hour. Register for the event and invite friends through the Facebook page.

Galaxy Hut is located on Wilson Blvd between Danville and Edgewood Sts in Arlington, Virginia (Directly across from the Whole Foods Supermarket and a few blocks from the Clarendon Metro Stop on the Orange Line. http://www.galaxyhut.com * 2711 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201.

Posted by KevinRollins at 11:57 AM | Comments (7)

May 13, 2008

Illegally Download Music, Lose Your House?

Most "Free Liberals" support property rights. That said, reasonable, pro-liberty people can disagree over the concept and enforcement of intellectual property. Most fair-minded people also understand the concept of proportionality in punishment.

That brings us to Los Angeles where the County Commission recently adopted an ordinance that essentially allows the authorities to seize homes if acts of piracy (illegally downloading music and movies) are found to be committed on the premises.

According to the story from Wired, the County board declared that piracy "substantially interferes with the interest of the public in the quality of life and community peace, lawful commerce in the county, property values, and is detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare of the county's citizens, its businesses and its visitors."

Not surprisingly, the regulation was crafted at the urging of the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America.

Property owners who knowingly permit such activity can also be dinged $1,000 for each counterfeited work produced on the property.

The fact is that the Founding Fathers included provisions for patents in the Constitution. They did this because the public at large benefits from new products and technologies. Without patent protection, the incentive for people to innovate is reduced. Is this true for intellectual property? The debate over that issue rages on, but the answers are much less cut-and-dried.

It would seem that losing one's house for pirating a movie is more than a little unfair.

Posted by PaulGessing at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)

Presidential Cult?

Gene Healy of the Cato Institute doesn't like the exercise of presidential power. Nor do I. He itemizes the dangers of president-as-messiah here. I think he's largely correct.

Still, those with wonkish proclivities might want to view politics as a purely intellectual exercise. Here in the Healy Construct, logic and reason are the only legitimate arrows in the quiver of those who share political values. Squishy, subjective considerations such as appeals to emotion and political theater are verboten.

Good luck with that approach, sez me.

Charisma, style, and being telegenic seem to me to be requirements for how this game is played. Deal with it. Being a strong, silent type in the mold of Coolidge strikes me as a matter of style. A= A robots need not apply.

With any luck, excellent politician/actors will step forward in coming decades who understand that the state can and should be rolled back, but who can also inspire and motivate the nation toward a more peaceful configuration.

Think of a smaller-government Obama.

-RC

Posted by RobertCapozzi at 06:48 AM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2008

Obama: Pot Smokers' Choice?

Barack Obama has given free liberals another reason to cheer his candidacy with his humane views on medipot:

As the candidates prepare for a May 20 primary in Oregon, one of 12 states with a California-style law, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois has become an increasingly firm advocate of ending federal intervention and letting states make their own rules when it comes to medical marijuana.

More here.

Posted by KevinRollins at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)

May 11, 2008

The Truman Transformation

Ever wonder where today's "imperial presidency" came from? Columnist George Will made the case recently that Harry Truman's presidency should be viewed as a turning point in presidential power.

Salient reasons for Will's argument include the undeclared Korean War without Congressional approval and seizure of the nation's steel mills. While historians' approval of Truman's presidency is to be expected as he grew government and increased the power of the presidency, he was among the biggest of big-government Democrats.

Posted by PaulGessing at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

May 07, 2008

National Review Reviews "The Revolution"

Or rather, John Derbyshire, does so for National Review.

The review is here. It's positive. But not as positive as Derbyshire was about the book later.

-MT

Posted by MicahTillman at 10:50 AM | Comments (0)

May 02, 2008

Not Playing It Safe in Uganda

From the Atlas Economic Research Foundation:


Ugandan Journalist and founder of an independent newspaper in Kampala , was arrested on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at his office. A bold advocate of free speech and a champion in promoting the dangers of foreign aid, Mwenda was arrested for being critical of President Yoweri Museveni's government. Mwenda has since been released on bail, he had this to say "I do not want to play it safe especially if doing so will stop me from fighting for freedom and liberty in uganda - my life would be meaningless if I lived for 100 years watching evil being committed and doing nothing about it. A time comes when people have to take a stand, a strong stand against tyranny. I cannot hide these people's suffering in order to remain alive. I would have abandoned my responsibility to Uganda and to humanity.

More here:

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/opinions/Police_stop_this_press_brutality.shtml

/KDR

Posted by KevinRollins at 01:21 PM | Comments (0)

May 01, 2008

What Happens When You Don't Read The Free Liberal

You end up thinking that governmentisgood.com. (h/t Goldberg)

Maybe Dr. Amy missed a little piece entitled "What's So Great About Government?" by Yours Truly? (Actually, it looks like his site has been up for a while . . . .)

Government, in fact, is not good. It's not bad either. Individual governments may have done good things or bad things. But government, in itself, is power, potentia, potential.

-MT

Posted by MicahTillman at 05:19 PM | Comments (1)

Free-for-all (frfr-ôl) -- n. A disorderly fight, argument, or competition in which everyone present participates.

from Dictionary.com



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The Free Liberal is an independent journal of transpartisan thought.

The views expressed herein are those of the writers individually and not necessarily those of the Free Liberal, the Center for Liberty and Community, or its board of directors.